Aerators are commonly used for maintaining landscaped ground surfaces including turf. The term “turf” refers to grass and other material which is specifically grown for sporting activities and is used, for example, to form golf course greens. Aerators on these types of surfaces have tines that repeatedly penetrate the ground surface, forming a plurality of holes so that the ground surface is aerated, to improve growth of the grass or other material and enhance the condition of the surface for playing purposes.
Aerators may have flywheels that drive the upper ends of tine supports in a circular path, and the lower ends in a reciprocating motion of repeated penetrations into the ground. Link arms can pivot to compensate for forward motion of the machine. At each part of the cycle when the tines are withdrawn from the ground surface, the link arms may position the tines in a substantially vertical position for the next cycle of penetration into the ground. Tines are generally cylindrical, are hollow or solid, and produce holes by pulling up plugs or cylindrical cores of soil as the tines move by rotation of the flywheel.
The hole spacing of an aerator may need to be changed if there are variable ground conditions, including variations in turf, soil, moisture and temperature over time and between different locations. Most aerators have a drive system that moves the aerator at a designated speed while rotating the coring head at a translated RPM, and thereby produces a pattern that approximates the selected spacing. For example, hole spacing settings can be and typically are set anywhere between 0 and 6 inches.
Existing walk-behind aerators have traction drives that must be stopped so that the aerator is stationary before an operator can increase or decrease the hole spacing, or that cannot change the hole spacing in either direction while the aerator is moving. For example, to increase or decrease the hole spacing, the operator may be required to return the operator presence/traction control bail to the neutral position to stop the aerator traction drive, and then adjust hole spacing using shift levers or other controls that may be outside the operator station.
An aerator hole spacing control is needed that can be used to increase or decrease the hole spacing without stopping the aerator traction drive. A hole spacing control is needed that may be used from the operator station while the aerator traction drive continues to move the aerator forward and the coring head continues to operate. Additionally, an aerator hole spacing control with lockout is needed so that a golf course supervisor or superintendent may preset the hole spacing of the aerator for a golf course or playing field, and that hole spacing cannot be changed, but will be consistently applied by operators.